The Area
We revel in a nook lot with a big (for Southern California), flat yard. The gap at the back of the home is a rectangle roughly 85′ X 74′ with neighbors on two aspects. The bee house is a 50′ lengthy by means of 15′ extensive strip alongside our again fence stretched between two sheds. It additionally runs alongside our vegetable lawn without a boundaries between the 2 areas.
The Issues
So, why am I redoing this area? Let’s pass over probably the most present apiary design’s issues.
Flight Trail Drama
The beehives are covered up in numerous quick rows with 2-4 hives in each and every. Their entrances are all going through the similar path (in opposition to the north shed), like chairs in a study room. This helps to keep the bee flight paths from going without delay into the vegetable lawn, however it additionally implies that their flight paths are simply disrupted all over inspections.
The hives within the first row should fly across the hives which are in entrance of them. So, after I stand at the back of one hive, I block some other’s flight trail. This setup is particularly problematic when I’m instructing. All the further our bodies stading within the area turn out to be stumbling blocks that confuse the bees as they are trying to seek out their entrances. Only a few mins into my beekeeping elegance, now we have created a chaotic aerial visitors jam!
No Obstacles
As a rule, the bees are tolerant folks, even if we paintings very on the subject of them within the lawn. Alternatively, we do revel in defensive conduct from the occansional guard bee and I’m all the time on alert when I’m on the subject of the hives. Now that we have got a child, it’s extra nerve-racking. I continuously concern he’s going to pass into the bee house. We even have this drawback with visitors and canine that come to consult with. Since there is not any transparent department between the apiary and the remainder of the backyard, new other folks and canine frequently wander proper into the bee house. Some don’t even notice the bees are there!
Weed Meadow
To stay the weeds down I in part coated the realm in reasonable astroturf. I do know this isn’t a just right answer, however I had some available so I figured why no longer? After awhile, I were given unwell of having a look on the unnatural inexperienced and coated it with straw as a brief repair. Alternatively, weeds nonetheless develop thru it and purpose problems with ants. Additionally, the astroturf has began to wreck down from solar publicity and is now losing terrible microplastics in every single place. I be apologetic about the usage of it.
Aesthetics
To be frank, the apiary design is unsightly. The way in which the hives are organized appears to be like messy and the bottom quilt is incomplete and ugly. We’re continuously struggling with weeds and within the spring, portions of the apiary are swallowed by means of them. It has gotten to the purpose the place I keep away from appearing somebody the apiary as a result of I’m embarassed by means of the way it loooks.